Formation and fragmentation of quantum droplets in a quasi-one-dimensional dipolar Bose gas

We theoretically investigate the droplets formation in a tightly trapped one-dimensional dipolar gas of bosonic atoms. When the strength of the dipolar interaction becomes sufficiently attractive compared to the contact one, we show how a solitoniclike density profile evolves into a liquidlike droplet on increasing the number of particles in the trap. The incipient gas-liquid transition is also signaled by a steep increase of the breathing mode and a change in sign of the chemical potential. Upon a sudden release of the trap, varying the number of trapped atoms and the scattering length, the numerical solution of a time-dependent generalized Gross-Pitaevskii equation shows either an evaporation of the cloud, the formation of a single self-bound droplet, or a fragmentation in multiple droplets. These results can be probed with lanthanide atoms and help in characterizing the effect of the dipolar interaction in a quasi-one-dimensional geometry.

Automated summary

In this study, we theoretically investigate the process of droplet formation in a one-dimensional dipolar gas. We found that when the strength of the dipolar interaction is sufficiently strong, the gas transitions into droplets with liquid-like density profiles. This transition is characterized by an increase in the breathing mode and a change in sign of the chemical potential. Additionally, we observed that the droplets can undergo evaporation, form a single self-bound droplet, or fragment into multiple droplets upon sudden release of the trap and variations in the number of trapped atoms and scattering length. These findings provide insights into the effect of the dipolar interaction in a quasi-one-dimensional geometry.